we brown the ribs FIRST,
so that when they are braised to be tenderized, they dont taste like boiled meat !
pre-heat your oven to 450 degrees, you want a HOT oven to get a quick browning without actually fully cooking the ribs.

for best results, brown the ribs on top of a bed of chopped / diced vegetables, carrot shavings, onions and celery
(this is a claSSIC MIXTURE THAT CHEFS AROUND THE WORLD CALL A MIREPOIX)

MAKE A NICE BED OF THESE VEGGIES ON TOP OF A SHEET PAN OR ROASTING PAN, MIX THEM WITH OIL, A NICE EVEN COAT, AND ALLOW THEM TO ROAST FIRST, ABOUT 10 MINUTES BEFORE YOU START THE RIBS.
WHILE THE VEGGIES ROAST, PREPARE YOUR RIBS.

ALWAYS WASH AND DRY ALLL YOUR PROTEINS BEFORE YOU COOK THEM

once your ribs are rinsed and DRIED, rub with a light oil (nothing heavy like extra virgin olive oil) and season to taste, I use garlic POWDER (not salt) fresh ground pepper medly, and ground cummin.
set the ribs on top of the roasted veggies and brown for 10-15 minutes,EACH SIDE, meaty side up FIRST.
once a nice tan has been acheived, you can begin phase two, braising !

BRAISING is a method used to make tough meats more tender, and as with the brisket it can slowly impart flavor from the liquid into the meat.
I reccomend marinades for brisket, NOT for pork ribs !

you will neeed a pot or roasting pan that will allow you to almost completely submerse your ribs in liquid.
if you are cooking alot of ribs, you may need to do it in stages if you dont have a pot big enough.
(A RECYCLABLE, aluminum Pan can help if a large pot is not available.)

place your browned ribs, AND the veggies in a pot and cover with LIQUID, this can be anything aS SIMPLE AS WATER, OR A MIXTURE OF WATER AND STOCK, EVEN BEER, But I dont try to mask or overpower the natural flavor of my ribs with marinades, or too strong a braising liquid.
(I always have a nice stock on hand, so you know I make good use of that and the ribs will just intensify what I already got going.)
SMALL addition of an acid, like O.J. triple sec, tequilla or vermouth, the acid will help to break down the fibers of the meat, especialy the attaching membranes.An ounce for every 3 pounds of meat.

Bring all the ingredients to a short boil if cooking on the range top for braising, then reduce the heat to simmer.
if your pot will fit inside the oven, reduce the oven temp to 275-300 degrees and do the braising inside the oven, for great results.
( a simmer is like a tiny boil with small bubbles just breaking the surface of the liquid)
do NOT boil the ribs for an extended period of time, because it will do the opposite of our intentions, toughen the meat, not tenderize.

the braising should take about an hour for baby backs, longer for bigger batches, and especially if your ribs are LARGE like full slab st louis ribs or spare ribs.
a good indicator of doneness is exposed BONE on the ends and a wrinkled look to the edges of the meat.
TEST the doneness by twisting and pulling on the exposed end, to see if the bone IS LOOSE ENOUGH TO BULL AWAY from the meat with just an easy twist, if so then your ribs are fully cooked.
remove the ribs from the liquid, if making a large batch, those in the middle may not be as done as the others so allow them to braise longer.
if you can readily see the difference, you may need to add an additional half hour to those undercooked ones.

GIVE IT A REST !
this small step is very important because if you try to roast the ribs while still wet, they will toughen up and nullify all that you tried to accomplish in the braising phase.
(if you plan to remove the back membrane, this is a good TIME to do it, after drying)
NOTE: I highly reccomend keeping the back membrane ATTACHED until after the braising process, othrwise you might incounter an undisered separation of meat and bone; the membrane holds it all together during this emersed liquid phase.seperates easily. USE THE EDGE OF A SPOON AND / OR A PAPER TOWEL TO PULL AWAY THE MEMBRANE FROM THE RACK.

we are now ready for our next phase, THE ROAST

re-season your ribs, if you have a favorite rub, use it, here is where your own individual tastes can be applied, spicey, cayenne, garlic, rub fresh or POWDER, sweet, molasses, honey or even maple syrup.
NOTE< I choose to apply my preffered seasonings here, as apposed to an overnight or extended dry rub curing process.
I can still take on the same flavors but the enherant flavors and TEXTURES of the pork can still be a prominant part of the flavor profile
(I add my sweetness into my sauce,to avoid burning, but if you like your ribs really sweet, you can brush the ribs with your sweet concoctions now.
return the oven to 425-450 degrees and again here we are looking to rebrown and slightly crisp the outer edges of the meat.
If you are using a sweet, sugar form for this phase, use a lower temp oven (400-425 range because the sugar content will burn easily
watch them carefully, this part of the glaze should take no more than 8-12 minutes.
you should now have ribs that look like cooked ribs, but the last part of the glaze is to apply the SAUCE

before saucing the ribs, you may wish to remove the membrane on the back of the ribs if not already addressed.

the GLAZE

PUTTIN ON THE SAUCE:
DEPENDING ON HOW YOU WANT TO PRESENT THE RIBS, YOU CAN LEAVE THE SLAB WHOLE, HALVE IT, OR CUT UP THE INDIVIDUAL RIBS, FOR PARTY LIKE PRESENTATION
do what you think works best for your occasion.
if you are going to cut up individual ribs, cut along the side of the bone, being consistent with the side you choose as you work along the slab, this will give you a uniform presenttation and make for easier consumption for your guests !
I brush my ribs, but you can dip them in the sauce, do what you like.
for me a light aplication of sauce, and offering more for those who like it saucy is how I roll.
regardless put your ribs back into the oven for a final glazing, another 5-10 minutes and you are good to go !
if you are going to hold the ribs for LATER keep the oven warm, around 225 degrees.
this process should take no more than 2 hours start to finish, I will gladly offer suggestions for sauce recipes as well as how you can employ these methods for your particular BBQ apparatus.
ENJOY !

recap:
brown the ribs(with veggies) 15 minutes
braise the ribs, after a quick boil, about an hour
rest...let the ribs dry...then,
roast for 10 minutes
sauce and glaze for 10 minutes.

VERY IMPORTANT !!!
do NOT THROW AWAY THAT LIQUID! BRING IT TO A BOIL, SIMMER IT FOR ANOTHER 30 MINUTES, STRAIN IT AND SET IT IN THE FREEZER OVERNIGHT !
YOU NOW Have AN AWESOME STOCK FOR YOUR NEXT COOKING ENDEAVOR AND SOME FANTASTIC FAT FOR COOKING OTHER GREAT DISHES !

I think a combination of flavors and textures are important so I always use a variety of meats and 'cuts' for the foundation.
beef.... ground and / or cubedchuck or bottom round are fine, dont buy expensive cuts for long cooking process.
chicken..... cubed
turkey....ground only
pork.......ground and / or cubed.butt or a loin if the price is right, again buying expensive cuts for a stewing process is a waste of Money.

for thick chunks of meat, beef and pork work best, a turkey or chicken cubed chili will be dry if overcooked, so those meats work best GROUND, especially in a long slow crock pot process !

for slow cooker(crock pot) always brown your meats FIRST !
I reccomend a large wok for the process !
if using a combination of cubed and ground meats, cook the ground meat FIRST to be sure it all cooks completly, before adding it to the crock pot, drain off any excess fat before adding to the pot.
cubed meat should be seasoned before browning and be sure to oil the pan well before browning all the cubes of meat, THEY do not have to be completly done before entering the crock pot, in fact, the beef should still be considered "medium rare" with a redish pink center.

BEANS: I reccomend black beans and kidney beans, mixed, but use the beans you like ! if canned, be sure to wash and drain them well before adding them to the mix or your entire chili will taste like it came out of a can !
a can of diced tomatos,1 for every 4 pounds of meat, a good quality, will also add sweetness and a favorable acid to the chili, , no need to drain or wash the canned tomatos if you are buying a quality product.
seasonings:
easy on the salt, I use none UNTIL I TASTE THE FINAL PRODUCT !
SALT WILL INTENSIFY AS IT COOKS, SO I RARELY SEASON WITH SALT BEFORE THE FINAL STAGE OF COOKING !

PEPPER i LIKE IT HOT! SO i USE A COMBINATION MIXED PEPPERCORNS AND GRIND THEM FReSH WHILE BROWNING BOTH GROUND AND CUBED MEAT
(shillings makes an excellent combo pepper mix with the grinder already to go, and not to expensive either.)

garlic and onions, finely chopped, and a good thing to add to the GROUND meat when you are browning, this will help you to avoid burning the GARLIC, which happens easily if hot and all alone.
TOBASCO to taste, use sparingly to start during the browning, and adjust to your taste in the final stages.

BEER : drink it while you cook and use it to de-glaze the pan during the browning phase.
a cheap light beer will work fine, but if you are entering a chili cook-off contest, use a bottle of newcastle nut brown ale ! or dos equis !
a bottle of beer for every 5 pounds of meat should do the trick.

RATIOS, make enough to fill your biggest pot !
the beauty of good chili is it tastes even better the next day! ( if it lasts that long )
and it will FREEZE and reheat well too !

for every 4 pounds of meat, I add 2 cans of beans, 1 black, one kidney.
for every pound of meat, I add one OUNCE of chili powder!
( that a ton of chili powder, so be sure to buy one you believe in ! )

minced garlic and onion ( I always use sweet onion BTW, but a brown onion will do.)
a quarter cup of each for every 5 pounds of meat, depending on your taste.

technique:
as you brown your meat. you can add the garlic and onion half way thru the process.
this will help you avoid burning the garlic and onions.

when you pull the groUnd meat from the pan (wok) set it aside and DE-GLAzE the pan with a couple onces of BEER, this will take the drippings off the pan surface and mary those excellent flavors together!
you will smell the intensity of the flavors as they combIne and simmer with the beer.
scrape the sides with a good spatula and let it all simmer and reduce for a minute or two .
add the CUBED meat to the simmered drippings and turn the heat back up to HIGH and brown the cubes of meat !
add the remainder of the beer bottle at this point stir, then add all your SPICES and mix together before all the fluid evaporates, turn the heAT DOWN to medium, once the spices are added.

combine all ingrEdients.
cooked ground, browned cubed and beans .
if you are going to use a crock pot, start with the highest setting, until you see the liquids bubble, then finish the cooking on the lowest setting.
if you are going to finish the CHILI in your biggest pot, or wok, turn the heat down to LOW, and stir every 20 minutes to avoid burning the bottom !

LARGE PRODUCTION:
if you are making a HUGE batch for GAMEDAY and lots of friends, you may need to do multiple steps of browning to avoid overloading your browning pan or WOK !
then put everything in that HUGE pot of yours, and INSTEAD of trying to keep it all stirred and oiff the bottom to scorch, shove that huge pot of yours into the OVEN and let it cook without all the fuss for at least an HOUR on very low heat, 225-275, depending on your oven and the size of your pot. ( the bigger the pot, the higher the heat.)

TOPPINGS:
here is where you can make the chili experince sensational !
for a party, give your guests a variety of toppings to add and choose from and they will all swear your chili is the best ever!
sour cream
jalepenos
olives
diced tomatos
crumpled bacon
cheetos or your favorite crumpled potato chips
fresh diced RED onion
fresh diced bell pepper, (various colors, mixed, makes a nice presentation)
want to blow your guests away? ( of course) grill a nice, trimmed, piece of NY steak, and cut thin slices or slabs, depending on you budget and your friends to place on top of each bowl of chili.
remember to TASTE your chili during the final stages, and adjust the seasoning.

NOTE, you can always add stock to the simmer phase, along with or instead of the beer.
stock can also be mixed into the large production or to top off the crock pot, to keep the chili from drying out !
ENJOY ! ( and let me know if you have any questions ! )

BRINE: ( see my new quick brine recipe and method located further along in this thread)

Make stock:
use roasted bones and veggies cover with water bring to a boil and then simmer on low overnight, around 6 hours.
strain and bring liquid to a quick boil.
then remove from heat.
this stock you can now use for gravy and for braising your dark meat.

prepare roasting pan with carrots, celery, onion, oranges and apples, all diced, all oiled and seasoned with rosemary and tarragon.
roast all veggies at 425 for 10 minutes, place turkey pieces on top , then roast or hot smoke for 45 minutes.
braise dark meat pieces in roasted veggies and stock, for 30 additional minutes.
Pull breasts at 140 internal temp.

(I use this to brine my turkey breast)
2/3 cup of sugar
1/3 cup of table salt
one newcastle bottle of beer
12 OZ. water ( i refill the bottle after I pour out the beer)
one tablespoon of garlic POWDER ( not salt).

I use my WOK for this technique.
add alll ingredients to the wok,
bring to a boil.
remove from heat and place washed, dried, room temp turkey breast in liquid.
(if bone in, meat side down)
if boneless, skin side up.
emmediatly cover with ice, enough to totaly emerse breast in icewater with ice on top.
let stand at room temperature for 90 minutes.
remove from brine, season and roast.
pull from heat when temperature reaches 140 degrees, (farenheit, all you canadians) !

This method is very effective because the initial plunge in hot brine opens up the the 'pores'
of the turkey meat. when the ice is added, the meat contracts, pulling in the brine, deep into the meat. the ice will then keep the breast at a proper temp to avoid the growth of bacteria while it continues to brine.
give it a try, we love it so much I make a turkey breast every week !

(I use this to brine my turkey breast)
2/3 cup of sugar
1/3 cup of table salt
one newcastle bottle of beer
12 OZ. water ( i refill the bottle after I pour out the beer)
one tablespoon of garlic POWDER ( not salt).

I use my WOK for this technique.
add alll ingredients to the wok,
bring to a boil.
remove from heat and place washed, dried, room temp turkey breast in liquid.
(if bone in, meat side down)
if boneless, skin side up.
emmediatly cover with ice, enough to totaly emerse breast in icewater with ice on top.
let stand at room temperature for 90 minutes.
remove from brine, season and roast.
pull from heat when temperature reaches 140 degrees, (farenheit, all you canadians) !

This method is very effective because the initial plunge in hot brine opens up the the 'pores'
of the turkey meat. when the ice is added, the meat contracts, pulling in the brine, deep into the meat. the ice will then keep the breast at a proper temp to avoid the growth of bacteria while it continues to brine.
give it a try, we love it so much I make a turkey breast every week !

I'm firing up my offset wood smoker on Friday, would this brine work for chicken as well as turkey? Gonna smoke 3-4 whole chickens. Never have brined a chicken, but hear it's the way to go.

yes. this would be a great quick brine before smoking ! whole chickens or halved chickens, depending on how you like to smoke them.
FWIW I love PECAN for smoking and encourage you to give it a try for your next smoking experience.
ENJOY, let me know how it all turns out !

regarding the brine, use whatever beer you would like. I like dark beer so a dos equis or similar would be fine(shiner bock)
shock top makes an apple beer that would be perfgect for the cold smoke you are planning, so that too might be worth your consideration.
THE IMPORTANT PART IS TECHNIQUE!!
dropping the birds in to a hot marinade and then icing them quickly after, helps to draw the marinade in to the meat of the bird.
it's thermal- dynamics !
you can always just drop them in a cold marinade mixture and let them rest and marinade foir 4 hours, my method just reduces the time and SPACE required to refridgerate all your birds for 4 hours.
good luck, enjoy !

whole or half chicken:
if you have a rotisserie unit in your cold smoker, definatly keep the birds whole and stuff the cavity with AROMATICS, like onion, apples oranges and herbs ( rosemary and tarragon) along with seasonings like garlic salt and pepper.
but iof you don't have a rotisserie in the smoker, I recommend splitting the birds in HALF, so the smoking process can attack from all sides !

yes. this would be a great quick brine before smoking ! whole chickens or halved chickens, depending on how you like to smoke them.
FWIW I love PECAN for smoking and encourage you to give it a try for your next smoking experience.
ENJOY, let me know how it all turns out !

Thanks. I think I'll try the icing method, sounds interesting and I'd like to save as much time as possible. I don't have a rotisserie in the smoker, so I'll just have the butcher cut the chickens in halves. I've got a boat load of apple wood I was planning to use, but I'll put pecan on my list! I've got some woodchuck apple beer in the fridge, so I'll use that also. I will post back and let you know how it turns out! Thanks again.

awesome, good luck, eager to hear how it all turns out, have a great week-end.

Chicken turned out great! Had a very nice taste, a lighter smoke flavor from the apple wood. (Normally use mesquite here in Texas but I think it can be a bit overpowering at times). It was tender as could be, and was probably the juiciest chicken I have ever cooked. I think the brine was the main reason for this. I do 3 or 4 local competitions in the summer and bbq chicken is one of the categories. Ive got this brining technique written down and will do exactly what I did this weekend come competition time. It was great, thanks again. If you have any opinions on rubs for the chicken, let me know. I kept it pretty simple with some salt, pepper, garlic and a little brown sugar.

so glad it worked out for you, thanks for the feedback!
for chicken, I like garlic powder and kosher salt on the skin... keeps it crispy and flavorful.
I agree with you about mesquite, great flavor but it can easily overpower all the other flavor profiles of the meat, marinades and rubs.
My brother once left behind some pecan chips for me and I have never looked back !
I use mesquite wood or charcoal for grilling (hot heat for sure) , and pecan for smoking.